jade hilliard
7/31/2024 5:23 PM
Saves money and makes us a good example for the community to be supplying reusable dishware during events as it shows we are putting our words into action.
July 1 - July 31, 2024
jade hilliard
"Make a difference for them!"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 885 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO30whole food mealsconsumed
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UP TO1.0waste auditconducted
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UP TO26plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO4.0conversationswith people
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UP TO20minutesspent learning
jade's actions
Community
Advocate for Office Reusables
I will lobby my workplace to have reusable dishes and silverware in order to minimize disposables.
Kitchen
Switch to Loose Leaf Tea
Because many tea bags and most sleeves and sachets contain plastic, I will switch to using loose leaf tea.
Kitchen
Whole Foods Meals
Prioritizing whole foods is one of the most effective ways to avoid single-use plastic in the kitchen, since most whole foods can be purchased without any packaging. This month, I will prepare 1 whole foods-based meals at home each day.
Kitchen
Shop the Bulk Bins
I will purchase dry goods from the bulk section of my grocery store, and I will use my own containers whenever possible (cloth bags, mason jars, even reused Ziploc bags will do!). When it's not possible to use my own containers, I will wash and reuse the containers offered by the store.
Community
Embrace Imperfection
Eliminating 100% of all plastic from our lives simply isn't possible. Throughout this month, I will embrace imperfection in my plastic-free journey while exploring and testing new ways to reduce my plastic footprint.
Community
Share My Actions
One of the best ways we can create change in our communities is simply by talking about it! This month, I will make my environmental actions visible by sharing about them on my social media networks and the Plastic Free Ecochallenge participant feed.
Study
Numbers Everywhere
The numbers #1-7 on plastics tell us a lot - and can help us be better recyclers. I will learn what these numbers mean and which types of plastics are accepted for recycling in my area.
Family + Pets
Homemade Pet Food
I will prepare my own pet food and/or treats to avoid plastic packaging.
Study
Follow the Chasing Arrows
The chasing arrows symbol we associate with recycling doesn't always actually mean something is recyclable. I will spend at least 10 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.
Study
Complete a Waste Audit
I will conduct a waste audit of my trash and recycling to understand how much waste I create and create a plan for where I can reduce the most.
Kitchen
Take the pre-survey!
Help us make the Plastic Free Ecochallenge the best it can be! Take the challenge pre-survey (and look out for the post-survey at the end of the challenge!) so we can better understand the impact the challenge has and how we can improve in the future. Plus, you'll earn points for completing it! Thank you!
Participant Feed
Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.
To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?
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jade hilliard 7/31/2024 5:48 PMHarvested some additional browse from our courtyard too: gopher tortoises love Virginia creeper! -
jade hilliard 7/31/2024 5:47 PMI'll be tracking which days of the week I personally fed out to our living collection with foods that were bought in bulk/did not use plastic (with a couple exceptions on Tuesdays as the bulk buying of bugs necessitates containers- so these will only be added if containers were put into our spare bowls pile). -
jade hilliard 7/31/2024 5:45 PMBulk donated produce this week too! -
jade hilliard 7/31/2024 5:44 PMThursday= protein day. This day we use meat items, like fish or shrimp (bought in bulk). -
jade hilliard 7/31/2024 5:42 PMTuesday= protein day- we do buy some of our bugs in plastic container but we reuse those containers!! -
jade hilliard 7/31/2024 5:41 PMI suppose I should include our animal collection on this- we prep their food daily from bulk products (bought from Fisherman's Dock or donated from Eartha's Farm and Market. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunity Advocate for Office ReusablesWhat are some of the cases you could make to an employer for why switching to durable dishes and utensils is actually in their best interest as well?
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jade hilliard 7/31/2024 5:22 PMRequested to be able to purchase reusable dishware for Tonca's birthday to help cut-down on our waste (since normally it is plastic and styrofoam dishware. -
jade hilliard 7/31/2024 5:11 PMI wanted to share this with everyone: Chitin: The Alternative to Plastic (speakupforblue.com)
I remember in 2018 when chitin was floated as a biodegradable alternative to plastic- but it was too hard to isolate from the seafood waste. Apparently, there has been a tech change and now that process is much easier (and still biodegradable). If this could get more funding it would be really cool to see happen!-
Luz Rooney 7/31/2024 9:10 PMGreat article, Jade. Seafood waste as fertilizer sounds better than the current mix of animal waste with human waste as a base for fertilizers. -
Gretchen Lira 7/31/2024 5:23 PMThat is so interesting! Thanks for sharing. So much to think about.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONStudy Complete a Waste AuditWhat did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?
jade hilliard 7/31/2024 5:05 PMTake-out containers are most of my garbage. Apparently, I'm pretty good at limiting my waste outside of this area. I had more Styrofoam than expected too.-
Luz Rooney 7/31/2024 5:15 PMIt is impossible to get rid of plastic when you buy pre-packaged chicken, fish or meat at the grocery store. However, I am proud to say that we FINALLY stopped buying our favorite ham brand, Hillshire Farm, and we now order fresh ham from the meat counter. Goodbye Hillshire Farm plastic containers. We will miss your honey ham flavor for sure. But we are doing this for the environment. Arrivederci!
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